Shopee, Tokopedia hike e-commerce fees to chase profitability

TikTok and Lazada also require Southeast Asian sellers to pay higher commissions

20240924 Tokopedia

An employee packs goods at Tokopedia's warehouse in Jakarta. The Indonesian e-commerce platform recently raised its fees for merchants.  © Reuters

TSUBASA SURUGA, Nikkei staff writer

SINGAPORE -- Southeast Asia's largest online shopping platforms are requiring merchants to pay higher fees as they face increasing pressure to boost profitability in a challenging environment.

Improving "take rates" -- the level of fees collected from sellers and orders -- has been a key focus for increasing revenue at regional platforms like Shopee, Tokopedia and Lazada, especially as sales growth has slowed after the pandemic as shoppers return to physical stores.

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